DARKENING DOWN
~by Koneko no Miko~
CHAPTER 2: the fall
The first time he met Mary, he knew he would make her his wife someday.
He was walking across campus, and in the distance he saw a woman sitting on a bench, her legs crossed demurely at the ankle. The autumn leaves were falling, creating a multicolored carpet that crunched under his feet as he walked. Despite the noise, she didn't seem to hear him as he approached, and she stood up and stretched her arms over her head. James couldn't help noticing how her pink cardigan stretched invitingly over her chest, and the dreamy expression on her pretty face. He had never been very good at talking to girls, and he was trying to formulate the perfect pick-up line when she noticed him and let out a little shriek, her hand flying up as if to protect her heart.
"Oh! I--I'm sorry," James stammered. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"No, that's okay," she said, and when she smiled sweetly he knew he was a goner. "I was off in my own little world, just thinking."
"What were you thinking about?" James asked, emboldened.
"Oh, it sounds so stupid." She ducked her head down and looked at him shyly from under her eyelashes.
"No, come on, tell me."
"Well, I was just looking at all of these leaves and thinking how fun it would be to make a pile and jump in them, like I used to when I was a kid."
"What's stopping you?"
She laughed. "Oh, I don't know...getting my clothes messy, looking like a dork."
James bent down and started gathering leaves into his arms, making a small mound of them at her feet. Standing up and brushing his hands off on his thighs, he walked away and called to her, "Fear not, milady, I shall lead the way!"
"You're not really going to---"
"But I am," he hollered gleefully. "So you'd better move!"
She obliged and stepped to the side, laughing as James ran towards her and flung himself dramatically into the pile.
"You're crazy," she said, not without a trace of admiration.
"I have paved the way to dorkdom," James said. "Now it's your turn, uh. . ."
"Mary."
"Mary," he repeated. "Go on!"
"Will you break my fall?" she asked, and suddenly blushed crimson.
"I promise," he said, and she ran from him, laughing, and circled her way back, waving her arms at her sides and making airplane noises. She leaped into the pile and landed flat on her ass, taking her breath away and causing her to go into a coughing fit.
"Are you okay?" James asked. With trembling fingers, he picked shreds of leaf from her shoulders.
Mary brushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled. "I'm fine. I'm fine now."
~by Koneko no Miko~
CHAPTER 2: the fall
The first time he met Mary, he knew he would make her his wife someday.
He was walking across campus, and in the distance he saw a woman sitting on a bench, her legs crossed demurely at the ankle. The autumn leaves were falling, creating a multicolored carpet that crunched under his feet as he walked. Despite the noise, she didn't seem to hear him as he approached, and she stood up and stretched her arms over her head. James couldn't help noticing how her pink cardigan stretched invitingly over her chest, and the dreamy expression on her pretty face. He had never been very good at talking to girls, and he was trying to formulate the perfect pick-up line when she noticed him and let out a little shriek, her hand flying up as if to protect her heart.
"Oh! I--I'm sorry," James stammered. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"No, that's okay," she said, and when she smiled sweetly he knew he was a goner. "I was off in my own little world, just thinking."
"What were you thinking about?" James asked, emboldened.
"Oh, it sounds so stupid." She ducked her head down and looked at him shyly from under her eyelashes.
"No, come on, tell me."
"Well, I was just looking at all of these leaves and thinking how fun it would be to make a pile and jump in them, like I used to when I was a kid."
"What's stopping you?"
She laughed. "Oh, I don't know...getting my clothes messy, looking like a dork."
James bent down and started gathering leaves into his arms, making a small mound of them at her feet. Standing up and brushing his hands off on his thighs, he walked away and called to her, "Fear not, milady, I shall lead the way!"
"You're not really going to---"
"But I am," he hollered gleefully. "So you'd better move!"
She obliged and stepped to the side, laughing as James ran towards her and flung himself dramatically into the pile.
"You're crazy," she said, not without a trace of admiration.
"I have paved the way to dorkdom," James said. "Now it's your turn, uh. . ."
"Mary."
"Mary," he repeated. "Go on!"
"Will you break my fall?" she asked, and suddenly blushed crimson.
"I promise," he said, and she ran from him, laughing, and circled her way back, waving her arms at her sides and making airplane noises. She leaped into the pile and landed flat on her ass, taking her breath away and causing her to go into a coughing fit.
"Are you okay?" James asked. With trembling fingers, he picked shreds of leaf from her shoulders.
Mary brushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled. "I'm fine. I'm fine now."
